Team Blue survives a wild 7th-inning at Udall

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-an-over baseball

Yogi Berra used to say, "it ain't over till it's over."

That's especially true when it comes to a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) game at Udall Park. Case in point: Today's game, a 9-8 win by Team Blue over Team White.

With the score deadlocked at 4-4, Team White took the field. The top of the seventh inning started out  innocent enough when fleet-footed Brian Reilly legged out an infield hit. Team White's shortstop Tim Boyd made a nice play on Reilly's grounder, but the throw to first base...was, as they say in the baseball world, "a tie goes to the runner."

Somewhere in the baseball rule book the tie goes to the runner rule is explained. Unfortunately, most of the Tucson Old Timers are not wearing their reading glasses, so calling time out to check the book would be fruitless, but the rule is there -- rule 7 or rule 8, or somewhere in between.

In any case, Reilly was aboard and he started a five-run rally as Team Blue plated five runs and took a 9-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning. But as Yogi would say, "it ain't over till the fat lady sings."  Whoops! That's one phrase Mr. Berra didn't initiate. That saying has something to do with the Opera, although no one knows for sure who the fat lady is.

Chances are she's not at Udall Park on a Monday, Wednesday or a Friday and chances are Yogi is in Heaven, looking down on the TOTS and smiling. So, we'll go with Yogi.

At any rate, Team Blue and their relief pitcher Dan Lundwall were pleased they owned a five-run lead, but before you could spell Yogi's name, Y-O-G-I, the bases were loaded and Joe "the Big O" Opocensky stepped to the plate and proceeded to drill a shot to center field for a three-run double and two outs later, Jesse "The Sweeper" Ochoa singled in a fourth run.

With the tying run on base and the winning run at the plate in the person of Jerry "The Yankee Clipper" Hamelin, things were now getting interesting. Lundwall fired a fastball over the plate, Hamelin swung and hit a two-hopper to third baseman Pigpen Price, who threw to first baseman Dave Byars for the final out of the game.

The Fat Lady was nowhere to be found. Yogi had left the bleachers in Heaven and was on his way to have a cold one with some of his former Yankee teammates. As for the TOTS, they packed up their gear at Udall and headed home, another game in the books for the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers.

The TOTS will be back in action on Wednesday. Game time: 10 a.m.

Photos: 1) Yogi Berra 2) Today's winning pitcher at Udall, Dan Lundwall.